Just two days ago, I was enjoying a pineapple juice with my friend, Marc, and discussing the Black Lives Matter protests and his personal experiences of racism, growing up in Chicago. He and I go waaaay back - and have both a business relationship through his role as Manager of the multiple award winning Cheeva Spa and his leadership role with the Thai Lanna Spa Association, and a deep personal friendship.
One of our shared body scrub training sessions with part of his Spa team
Marc with my daughter, Ploi, at the CityLife Fair in Chiang Mai last November.
We discussed anti-white racism in Asia, anti-Indian racsim almost everywhere and the other -isms, like the discrimination one faces as a single white mom in Asia. But in the end, he and I came to the conclusion that it is the SYSTEMIC RACISM that is agreed on by the majority, enforced by law and not questioned that is the worst. Cos you can't write that off as simply one red-necked ignorant fool.
I can't imagine what that must feel like! I had said. Where the dominant group agrees you have fewer rights, based on NO tangible evidence of anything except irrational fear and the firm belief that you are little more than a commodity.
FFWD JUST ONE DAY.
Yesterday Thailand's English language social media reported two issues:
The famous Wat Po Temple in Bangkok has reopened as Covid-19 restrictions ease, but with this caveat:
Image credit: Richard Barrow in Thailand
and the Thai inter-provincial buses have also restarted, but with a similar caveat: No foreigners. Thai ID card holders only.
Image credit: The Thaiger
You can read Richard Barrow's personal report here and more about the transport restrictions here. Needless to say there have been quite some hollow (pathetic) press statements from the temple, a lot of nervous western people making acquiescent noises about "being guests here" so as not to upset future visa chances, and a whole lot of nervous silence from Thai friends. I notice that the most: the articulate Thai people who have happily traveled abroad and know what racism feels like, who are suddenly very, very quiet.
Let's be clear that I am not a guest here: I am a Thai tax-payer with sole legal custody and sole financial responsibility to raise a dependent Thai national. With no Thai financial support, and substantial costs and inconvenience to be allowed to stay and do that. I employ people, create jobs, pay taxes, skill share, speak Thai, and have the right to vote at some elections.
I say it is pure racial-national discrimination. Every single non-Thai person (white, Burmese, Indian, whatever) who is currently in Thailand has been locked down here for 2 months. No one is infectious. Thailand nationwide has had no local cases for 14 days, and Chiang Mai has had no local cases for over 38 days!! While there arguably might have been an increased risk from travelers 2 months ago - travelers of every colour and not just "farang" (white) ones - that's definitely no longer the case. The nation's borders have been tightly closed for 2 months. The only people bringing Covid-19 back to Thailand with them now are repatriating Thai people. Who either lied on their health clearance documentation to travel or were very, very careless at the airport. But we would "lose face" if we mentioned that part. Hmmm....
How do I KNOW it's stupid racially-driven hysteria? Cos I SEE it. Online. Thai people afraid of farang.
Observing my own reactions has been informative, to say the least:
- questioning my long terms plans here;
- questioning my daughter's long term place in her own country and why I bother to uphold Thai for her like it's a good thing;
- anger at Thai people who objectify foreigners at ATMs and pension plans;
- anger at intelligent Thai people who are saying nothing;
- an emotional pulling back from me from all things Thai this morning (locally we laughingly call that a Thaigraine)
People-pleasing is a Thai national characteristic. Being seen to appease people matters, because "loss of face" must always be avoided. So if the masses are afraid of farang people, let's simply pander to that. Engaging the brain and facts not required. Mind you the Thai masses still also believe that wet hair makes you sick, that Buddha amulets will make you rich, that all the bones of the Buddha all over Thailand and India are real 🤣 and that walking three times around a temple holding an orange bucket will bring you "lucky". Sigh.
What I feel most today, though, is HURT. Cos it was also only 2 days ago that we went to make donations for the Women's Happiness Cupboard to help support Thai and migrant worker moms, with no mention of the fact that we as farang moms are the only ones not receiving any support from anyone. We did it cos I/we DO see ourselves as part of the Thai community, even if it is not reciprocated.
As I sit over coffee pondering, I recognize how damaging this systemic racism is. I can only wonder at what it feels like after generations, after prolonged and mind-numbing violence, and after state after state, and country after country, endorses it. For centuries.
So today I received the gift of seeing how racism feels, and makes me react. Not pretty.
I CHOOSE to see it as systemic ignorance, and fear. I CHOOSE to not engage in online assaults on ignorant Thai people defending this. I WANT to say to the woman who posted the comment above, that maybe she should go back to her village poverty and protect herself from all the elderly fat white pensions on offer too. I WANT to post provocatively asking why the tens of thousands of Thai wives haven't made a collective media statement on behalf of all the older white males they're married to.
I am instead CHOOSING to write this and leave you with the thought given to me from my dear friend, Marc. When I asked him what he wanted most from non-black people after his personal 50 years of systemic racism, he simply said "Speak up." Say something.
I will NOT be posting this Hive blog to my facebook profile (as I often do) as I simply don't want to engage with the general ignorance there. To the Thai people on Hive who do read this, Speak Up. Say something. Write an email, or a letter. Cos this is not what the Buddha taught, nothing to do with "Jai Dii" and everything to do with systemic fear and racism.
I shall send this blog to my friend, Marc, and I can already SEE him smiling. "You're the master manifestor", he will say. "You wanted to know how it feels, and now you do."
Why do I see this experience of discrimination as a Gift? Because everything that tears down a wall and enables us to SEE and FEEL each other AS ONE is a foundation towards a different and better future. One Love.
New Social Paradigm? Bring It On!
Edit: Credit and gratitude to Khun Ploenpote Atthakor for speaking out publicly in the Bangkok Post. 'Thais-only' policy is racism, pure and simple
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